Hunting tourism providers say the border reopening has come too late for this deer hunting season, but say bookings for next year are already flooding in.
File photo Photo: 123rf.com
The main deer hunting season known as the 'roar' is underway but those offering hunting tours say despite the border reopening today, bookings remain low.
From today Australians can enter New Zealand without needing to quarantine or isolate - this is extended to travellers from the rest of the world next month.
New Zealand Trophy Hunting manager Carla Lucas said the reopening has come too late for this season, but plenty of bookings for next year are being made.
"It's surprising and it's really nice to see that they are still coming through and paying deposits to come out here to New Zealand, based on the fact that there are unknowns still, but they obviously feel comfortable enough to do it," she said.
"I'm guessing that international tourists that have already booked are all anticipating the fact that they will want to get out of their own country and get on a hunting trip internationally.
"From previous seasons' booking numbers, we're way ahead. It's really exciting."
Lucas said the Queenstown-based business already has more than 40 trips with international tourists pencilled in for next season, which will also provide a much-needed economic boost for local businesses.
Simon Guild from Rakaia's High Peak Station, one of the largest tourism hunting operators, says they've lost millions of dollars of revenue over the past two years due to the border closure.
He says it's good news New Zealand is back on the international map, but agrees the re-opening has come too late for this year's roar.
"These sorts of trips take a while to plan, both from the providers and from the person partaking in the trip. Everything from arranging time off work, to finance, to booking flights, all those sorts of things, it's quite a high-involvement type of experience.
"And really, a couple of months' notice before the end of the season is a bit too late," he said.
Guild said if Australians want to get in on the tail-end of the roar, they had better be quick - the season will be finished by May.
Guild, who's also the president of the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association, as well as the New Zealand Association of Game Estates, expects a boom in demand next year.
"It's all backed up for the 2023 and 2024 season and we've got bookings into 2025 and even 2026. So, next year will be huge.
"And that presents a great opportunity to recoup some of those losses over the last few years for providers, but they certainly won't be recouping all the losses, by any means."
Support needed for niche regional tourism businesses
Guild hopes more niche regional tourism businesses, like hunting, will get more support as the country reopens to tourists.
"Hunting is one of a number of regional tourism sectors where people are basically utilising natural capital to provide an experience or something that people are willing to pay good money to come and see," he said.
"That could be could be the land manager who's managing a really great herd of Red Stags, or it could be someone preserving a wetland on their farm and they're welcoming tourists to come and visit, and then spend money in the local town or whatever it may be.
"There's thousands of situations across the country where people are spending their own money to preserve unique New Zealand landscapes and biodiversity.
"It's often private landowners, private people looking after things that they value, and they're opening up those things for people to come and experience themselves and add considerable value to the visitor experience across the country."